We defended very well. Wisconsin led the entire country in points per possession and we held them well below their average. As for missing too many important FTs, we actually only attempted one in the last 10 minutes of the game (though it was a killer miss). We just didn't finish.

1.19 point per possession for the season which is an amazing stat. Michigan held them to .98 point per possession which is good for 3rd worst offensive output by Wisconsin(Manhattan was the lowest at .90 point per possession[!!!!]). Michigan played great defense in that game, but missing key FTs, missing key shots, the lucky 3 point shot doomed Michigan.

You are 100% wrong on this. Michigan rebounds 70.9% of its opponents misses which is above average nationally and that's with an undersized four in Novak. Now if you are saying that UM doesn't go after offensive rebounds, that's fine. But to act like you need to get a bunch of offenive rebounds to win is flat out wrong(especially if your team happens to be a little slow in foot speed like ours and would likely get exposed in transition)

We are playing really well right now (to a degree anyway), and this field is going to be filled with a bunch of teams less deserving than us. I thought Jim Jackson's comment that we could surprise some people if we got in was right on the money. I don't think that bracketologists should discount the early B1G schedule but we are not the same team we were a couple of months ago.

Win out, make a nice run in the B1G tournament, and then let's see what happens. I really do think that if UM beats Minny and MSU, then win 2 games in the conference tournament, they'll be able to make a case. Either way, this team will be playing in the postseason, and that is far better than most expected at the beginning of the season.

as we'd be 4-0 vs those two. And if it were a four-way tie including Illinois, we'd move up to the fourth seed at 4-1 in tie-breaker play vs the Illini's 3-2. (We lose all other tie-breaker scenarios to Illinois.)

NW is a long-shot to make it to 9-9, but they'd be only 3-5 against us, Illinois, MSU, & PSU, so I'm pretty sure we'd come out higher than the Wildcats, also.

I am convinced that if there is a team i follow and root for God hates them. I have season tickets to the Browns and Cavs and grew up in Michigan following the Lions, Tigers, Pistons (pre 1988) and Red Wings (also pre 1988).

If there is a painful way to experience defeat I've felt it. If there is a one in a million zillion chance of something happening to defeat my team it will happen. I stand amazed at the new and inovative ways teams i love are defeated.....always some new way to tear my heart out.